Scientific/WMS will have a number of intriguing assets that could cumulatively provide the company with a remarkably strong position in the emerging market for regulated online poker in the United States. A non-exhaustive list:

Relationships with majority of U.S. states. Scientific has what could prove to be an invaluable slate of relationships with state governments (and lottery commissions). According to company documents, Scientific:

Has long-term contracts in 11 U.S. states for the operation of both local draw games and multi-state lottery games

Is an instant ticket supplier to 41 U.S. jurisdictions and has experience selling into ~50 countries.

Interactive gaming manufacturer license and a service provider license in the State of Nevada. WMS was granted both in September of 2012. Scientific will likely have to jump through a hoop or two to transfer the licenses, but that shouldn’t be a significant hurdle.

Partnership with Zynga. Scientific struck a 3-year branding deal with the social poker juggernaut in September of 2012.

Relationships with land-based casinos. WMS is the second or third (depending on your metric) largest supplier of gambling machines in the industry. That title brings with it a stable of long-running relationships with nearly all the major players in the land-based casino industry.

Of course, nothing about the above guarantees that Scientific / WMS will excel in the market for regulated online poker in the U.S..

But as the path for regulated online poker in the United States bends harder and harder toward the state level, the strength of Scientific/WM’s position may come be such that the company is compelled to commit substantial focus and resources to online poker. And if other states follow Nevada’s lead by using online poker as the trial / launch product for online gambling, the company will have little choice but to aggressively promote an online poker product.